♥ Yourself This Valentine’s Day

Do you want to fall in love this Valentine’s Day? I have the perfect valentine for you – YOU! When is the last time you sent yourself some love? The University of Michigan Institute forSocial Research found that college students who base their own self-worth on what others think, and not their own value as human beings, often pay a mental and physical price for it. So, ladies, this Valentine’s Day – be your own special Valentine!

Here are 4 simple tips to help you become your own sweetheart:

Pay it forward, but start with yourself!

Look at yourself as you do your best friend – with kindness, admiration and love. In referencing a study by psychologists, Ed Diener of the University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign and Shigehiro Oishi of the University of Virginia, Psychology Today notes, “True happiness lasts longer than a burst of dopamine, however, so it’s important to think of it as something more than just emotion. Your sense of happiness also includes cognitive reflections, such as when you give a mental thumbs-up or thumbs-down to your best friend’s sense of humor, the shape of your nose, or the quality of your marriage.” Make a mental note to love yourself – find some self-compassion. Value your wisdom, your life experience, your potential. Make a list of all the qualities and characteristics that make you unique and take them to heart. Every life lesson you’ve experienced has added to your wisdom. Celebrate YOU!

Book a date with your BFF (YOU.)

Become your own BFF (Best Friends Forever). Arrange your day around things that bring you joy. This could be lunch with a mentor, your lover, or your mother. Or perhaps book a play date with your grandchildren, go on a shopping spree, or volunteer at your favorite charity. Book it! Treat yourself to something that you love to do.

Use it or lose it!

The best way to love yourself is to take good care of your health! It may be time for a tune up! For women in perimenopause and menopause, make sure you have a healthy vagina. I reached out for help when my declining estrogen levels resulted in the thinning (I wish it had the same effect on my hips) and drying of the lining of my vagina. Ladies, the health of your vagina is important whether or not you are having mad passionate sex with a partner, your vibrator or no sex at all. When it comes to the vagina, thin and dry is out and can cause problems other than in the bedroom. With the help of a menopause specialist, you can find relief in no time.

I am not anti-aging!

Aging is a gift. Because of medical advances and more progressive thinking, postmenopausal women are enjoying fuller, sexier, more soulful lives than ever before. We boomers wouldn’t have it any other way. We want to celebrate life at every age. Believe it –60 is the new 40!

I hope you have a wild and crazy Valentine’s Day this year with your new BFF – YOU!

Shower yourself with random acts of kindness and joy! I ♥ you!Suffering in silence is OUT! Reaching out is IN!

Click here to download my free eBook, MENOPAUSE MONDAYS The Girlfriend’s Guide To Surviving and Thriving During Perimenopause and Menopause.

♥ Yourself This Valentine’s Day was last modified: February 9th, 2016 by Ellen Dolgen

Ellen Dolgen, menopause education is a mission. Spurred by her own experience struggling with the symptoms of menopause, Dolgen has devoted the last ten years of her life to helping other women during this often difficult time. While she’s not a doctor or scientist, she’s “talked the talk” with countless menopause experts, so that she can “walk the menopause walk” and share the keys to this menopause kingdom.

Together with her son, Jack, she created a FREE eBook, MENOPAUSE MONDAYS The Girlfriend’s Guide to Surviving and Thriving During Perimenopause and Menopause, a comprehensive guide to all things menopause—the symptoms, the treatments, and the long-range effects on a woman’s health. Dolgen shares the expertise of numerous specialists to replace confusion and embarrassment with medically sound solutions, presented in an entertaining and informative way. There you will find detailed descriptions and treatments for the symptoms you or your loved one may experience, from hot flashes and mood swings to mental fogginess and loss of libido, and lots more in between.

In addition to sharing the latest research and proven treatments, Dolgen offers guidance to finding a menopause specialist who’s right for you, and she provides a clear explanation of what tests to ask for. You’ll also learn about the latest studies on hormone replacement as well as alternative therapies and remedies. Finally, Dolgen shares the real-life experiences of women—and those who love them—as they traverse the crazy ups and downs of perimenopause and menopause.

As a result of the overwhelming response from her burgeoning audiences and followers’ requests for empowering information they could trust, EllenDolgen.com and her Menopause MondaysTM Blog was born.

In addition to Ellen’s ever-growing social media presence, EllenDolgen.comhas fast become “the place” on the web for informative and entertaining women’s menopause and wellness engagement. Ellen has been #1 on Dr. Oz Sharecare.com Top 10 Social HealthMakers on Menopause. In 2012, 2013 and 2014, EllenDolgen.com / Menopause Mondays was named first on the list of the “Best Menopause Blogs” by Healthline. Ellen was honored to be asked to be one of the first regularly featured bloggers on HP50 and so began her syndication on many other health sites.

Ellen produces health and wellness programs for businesses, healthcare institutions, and other organizations. She facilitates Menopause Mondays Parties throughout the Country. Ellen chaired a social media roundtable for Novo Nordisk in 2012. In 2013, Ellen was a key spokesperson for GLAMTM (Great Life after Menopause), a non-branded campaign sponsored by Novo Nordisk. In 2015, Ellen partnered with Pfizer on a series of menopause videos with the fabulous award winning Kim Cattrall for their “Tune in to Menopause Campaign.”